(a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a safety plug device for a high-voltage battery. More particularly, the present invention relates to a safety plug device for a high-voltage battery, which interrupts a battery power source in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles during maintenance such as repair or servicing and emergency.
(b) Background Art
Generally, high-voltage batteries and motors of electric vehicles use a high level of voltage much like fuel cell vehicles. Also, hybrid vehicles using two or more power sources use a voltage relatively higher than the operating voltage of typical vehicles. Since the electric or hybrid vehicles use electricity for running the vehicle and other operations, these vehicles typically require a significant number of circuits to which voltage and current higher than those of typical vehicles are applied. Thus, since high-voltage circuits of such electric or hybrid vehicles may injure a serviceman when the vehicles are serviced or repaired, the high-voltage circuits need to be interrupted for the repair work, thus ensuring safety for a serviceman.
Safety plug devices have been proposed to interrupt high-voltage circuits. The safety plug devices include a combination of a safety plug and an interlock. After a high current from high-voltage battery is applied, the safety plug device interrupts the flow of the high current by interrupting a connection between the interlock function and the battery management system (BMS), and prevents generation of arc upon removal of the plug. In particular, the safety plug is configured to interrupt the power supply during emergency and maintenance work by placing a current cut-off switch in the middle of the high-voltage battery, and the interlock is configured to prevent the burning of the battery and the system by preventing the occurrence of arc due to the release of a mechanical contact when the safety plug is removed.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary view of a typical safety plug device. As shown in FIG. 1, the safety plug device includes a plug main body 100 and a plug lever 110 that can be pivoted. The plug main body 100 and the plug lever 110 are interlocked by a locking part 120 and a fixing part 130. Additionally, an interlock 140 is disposed on the front surface of the plug main body 100 to be contactable with the plug lever 110. Thus, when the lever-side fixing part 130 is pushed in the direction of the arrow, showing in FIG. 1, to release the fixing part 130 from the main body-side locking part 120 and then the fixing part 130 rotates 90 degrees in the direction of arrow, the plug lever 110 moves upward, and the interlock is turned off and the current is cut off.
However, since the typical safety plug devices have substantially complicated structures and many components such as a spring added to push the fixing part, manufacturing costs may increase. In addition, since the plug lever needs to be pivoted when the fixing part is pulled, the typical safety plug devices may be substantially difficult to manipulate, and their workability may be reduced.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.